We're spending a lot more time in our favorite apps, but not trying new ones
Americans are spending more than twice as much time using smartphone apps as they did just three years ago. But we're spending most of that extra time in a small number of familiar apps, rather than spreading it among a bunch of new ones.
According to research from Nielsen via Statista, American iPhone and Android phone users spent an average of 37 hours and 28 minutes using smartphone apps in the fourth quarter of 2014, more than double the figure of 18 hours and 18 minutes from the last quarter of 2011. But the number of apps used has barely budged, moving from 23.3 to 26.7.
That's good news for app makers if they can break into the top echelons of popularity, as companies like Google and Facebook have managed to do. But it's not so good for budding app developers who are hoping that more time on our phones means more time downloading and using new apps.
